Can the Supreme Court suspend, amend procedural rules?


Yes, the Supreme Court has the power to suspend and amend procedural rules.

It is an inherent power of Highest Tribunal of the Land to suspend its own rules or to exempt a particular case from the operation of said rules (pro hac vice [This time only]) whenever demanded by justice (De la Cruz vs. Court of Appeals, 510 SCRA 103).

The power to create rules necessarily carries with it the power to suspend the effectivity of its creation.

The power to suspend or even disregard rules can be so pervasive and compelling as to alter even that which the Court itself had already declared to be final (Apo Fruits Corp. vs. Land Bank of the Philippines, G.R. No. 164195, October 12, 2010).